Are Greedy Developers helping to inflate the economy or is it the Government?

 

Are Greedy Developers helping to inflate the economy or is it the Government?

They say that it is best to have a balance between supply and demand in order to level the playing field of our economy. That’s the big line in the construction field, more homes and rentals, and the prices come down. Well, that might be true in some areas but when the economy is in the you know what, jobs are not as they used to be and the price of everything is so high that you can’t afford to feed yourself or your family, greedy developers should think twice before building new apartment buildings that will sit empty for months to come, along with commercial buildings doing the same. 

Having owned a construction company back in the 80s I know firsthand how the industry works in giving blue-collar employees good-paying jobs. Now with interest rates on the rise due to an incompetent government, the price of construction has gone up even more than usual. Loans for supplies and construction projects have risen to the point where jobs are going to be scarce within the industry because companies won’t be able to afford skilled labor.

When we look at the statistics of the industry in 2023, just this past June the building industry dropped by 8% from a surprising surge back in the early part of the year. Why such a drop well that’s because the industry inventory of supplies has dried up to the point that with new interest rates being so high for a new home, it’s going to be hard to buy a home in the coming years.

With high mortgage rates combined with high construction costs, we’re looking at a serious downturn in the home-buying arena. When we look at the permit data for new construction even those numbers are down by 15% from a year ago. So, what does all this mean? It means that to afford a new home, couples or even an individual must rely on a steady income of over $150,000 a year to cover the costs of a mortgage due to the higher rates straining any ability to affordability.

So, the question is, is it greedy developers causing the economy to inflate or is it the government’s fault that the economy sucks? It is the Government’s fault for sure because they run the Federal Reserve and allowed it to recently increase the interest rate increased last week to 6.93% from 6.87% from the previous week. In essence, if you want to buy a home and have a 30-year mortgage, you’ll have to pay through the nose to get it. Not only will you have to pay a real estate fee, but also an origination fee, and pray you can afford the monthly mortgage payment every month once you obtain the loan. That’s if you qualify for the loan. In the past year mortgage loans have gone down approximately 3% and are over 32% lower than last year.

As a result of such high prices for housing, rentals, and mortgage rates, homelessness in America is going to increase to a point where we will see situations as we had in this country during the Depression era. We’re already seeing an increase in tent cities popping up all over the country. Unfortunately, city elected officials not knowing what to do or how to handle these tent cities is causing more problems by arresting those who are down on their luck and having to live in those tents. Is the government doing anything to help, nope. In fact, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi has said over and over again that we must “change the subject because inflation is a global phenomenon. Hey Congresswoman Pelosi not sure if you’ve seen the figures or not, but we’re at a 40-year high on inflation, crime is at an all-time high, gas prices are at a high, food prices are high and you’re allowing 2.3 million illegals to enter the southern border without any real plan of action to help house, feed and sustain them in this country while your fellow Americans are suffering. You and the Democrats in elected office want to change the narrative so that the American people don’t see that you’ve failed in your jobs to protect this country and its citizens. It’s time for you and your ilk to resign and make room for new blood to guide this country out of debt and a better economy. You’re making things worse and allowing Americans who are suffering to live in tent cities. Yup, we’re right back in the depression era once again and no one is doing a damn thing to solve the issues. If we can pay for housing for illegals, we should be able to help house our homeless citizens and afford them a little dignity to help them get on their feet once again.

 

Elizabeth Kilbride is a former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, and journalist. business professional, creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride holds a Master's in Criminology and a BS in Business Management she stepped out of the loop for a while but is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms. Kilbride loves to travel, and photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.

Reality of the Real World

The roller coaster of success is the most exhilarating ride everyone should take at least once in their life. You get invitations to all the great parties and social events, all across the social network. You walk into a room and everyone knows your name, and your well placed reputation. You’re called upon to make a donation to a local charity, but you never take the time to find out what the problem is or offer to help come up with a plan to fix it. You ignore the problem because you’re so afraid the horrible problem might rub off on you one day. Remember, you’re one of the fortunate ones; you have plenty of money, a roof over your head, food in your belly and those invitations are still coming in the mail every day. It’s wonderful to live the life of the rich and famous, because you’re sipping champagne in the back of a limousine, wining and dining with socialites, politicians and the who’s who, and then...

Then one day, slowly the bottom begins to drop from beneath those dancing feet. You’re frantic to fail, so you call a few of your friends for assistance and guess what; they don’t return your call. Word spreads fast; you’re broke and have nothing to give anymore. Without money and position, you’re no longer welcomed into that sacred circle you once enjoyed. After all, it’s a double edged sword of the haves and have-nots’ of the world.

For generations those who have paper wealth or real wealth have looked down on those who have nothing; until they themselves have lost it all due to the economy. This is when they realize what they could have done with all that power and wealth – help those less fortunate within their community.

Throughout the country there are thousands finding themselves in this strange situation. A situation they never imagined themselves to be in; jobless, homeless, just trying to survive, one day at a time.

Although they've tried everything they could to gain momentum to live a comfortable life, something happened and their lives were never the same again. The causes are simple ones, stock market downturn, economic downturn, loss job, medical emergency that resulted in excess medical bills not covered by insurance, loss of business, returned from a combat zone, etc. There are so many causes and I could go on and on, but you get my point. Unforeseen reasons we never think will happen to us, but they do.

During a time of financial uncertainty, a human being will do what ever it takes to survive. They’ll look for a job, only to be turned down for one of three reasons, lack of experience, education or their age. In some cases, they’re turned down for having too much experience, or jealousy from the very person to whom is interviewing them for an average job.

This same person will sell everything they own in order to meet their financial responsibilities and pray things will turn around before the next round of bills are delivered by the post man.

When times are tough and a person is on the brink of homelessness, many emotions arise during this time of uncertainty; anger, frustration, scared, nervousness. To the naked eye, they’re seen as on the edge. On the edge isn’t the half of it, the fear of not being able to keep a roof over their heads, food in the bellies, and the loss of credit rating and a sense of hopelessness takes over.

After exhausting all their funding, selling everything they have worth selling and in an economy where jobs are scarce, society is forcing them to turn to the system. With reluctant fingers they dial churches and service organizations in hopes of spiritual guidance, humanitarian charity and a little compassion; only to find they’re being profiled by the person on the phone, as a lowlife refusing to get a job and be a productive citizen. This further destroys their sense of self worth.

With each call or visit, a person down on their luck must repeat themselves over and over again, until they’re frustrated, crying and begging for assistance. After each interaction, they feel as though they’re not worthy of assistance. Without knowing the whole story which brought them to contacting a program office, the person in need is judged by the person who is working for the program, as to their worthiness of receiving assistance. They’re turned down over and over again until something within them breaks and their soul is completely shattered.

Instead of being compassionate for another person’s plight, maybe helping them find a solution to create a viable option that will help them regain a sense of self-worth, those who work in these social and charitable programs demean a person over and over again, until they have no self esteem left.

After a while, the person in need begins to doubt themselves, their ability to find a job and their own survival. Staring out the window at an unforgiving future with their lives shattered; they contemplate leaving this world and all its evil behind.

Couponing: Does it really work?

As the recession forces companies out of business, leaving thousands without a job, those already strapped for cash are finding it difficult to make ends meet. Many are contemplating bankruptcy, but don’t want to ruin their already broken credit ratings. With the uncertainty of the federal deficit getting ready to blow off the ceiling of American, add in soaring utility and rising gas pump prices we as Americans are facing a future of financial insecurity.

Thousands of baby boomers will recall their parents and grandparents telling them to stock up for a rainy day. Unfortunately, many of them failed to learn the art of saving and stocking the pantry for when there is a loss of job, shortage of cash or that unexpected emergency. In recent years many of them have fallen on hard times and are struggling to make ends meet because they didn’t heed the warnings of their parents and grandparents. Unfortunately because the baby boomers, their families and their children didn’t listen, they’ve been forced to humiliate themselves by visiting food pantries, or resort to social programs in order to survive.

To make matters worse, with gas prices soaring to record highs, the trucking industry has had to increase their delivery price which has caused food prices to increase; making matters even worse in a declining economy. This end result is now causing many parents to cry at the grocery check out counter.

Recently, I’ve met many families who are finding it harder and harder to stretch those grocery dollars. Mothers have cried because they can’t seem to make ends meet. Their self esteem has been shattered, because they themselves have gone without in order to provide for their families, yet still find they must visit food pantries or apply for food stamps to feed their children. This isn’t something they want to do, but as a mother, they will do what is necessary in order to feed their children.

Many families are finding what they believe to be a new trend, but if they speak to their mothers and grandmothers, they would find they’ve been doing it their entire lives. What are they doing to save money; they’ve learned what this writer calls the “Art of Grocery Shopping” - Couponing! Using coupons is an easy way to stretch those grocery dollars each week to ensure your family has what it needs to survive.

There is no mistaking that couponing is time consuming, but the benefits to using coupons can save you thousands upon thousands of dollars that can be used to be used for other things. The money saved can be used to pay off debt, take a vacation or save for a rainy day.

When parents work together to save money on their grocery store bill by using coupons, they’re teaching their children essential life lessons. If they make couponing a family affair, researching deals, cutting out coupons and planning the trip to the store, everyone benefits from the end result. – saving money. This procedure also creates quality family time that children will remember later in life.

How do you save money by using coupons? It’s easy, but first you must get organized. Buy yourself a zippered binder organizer with dividers and coupon holder inserts – approximately $80 investment. In the meantime, stop by your local grocery store and map out what’s on each aisle and then divide your organizer accordingly. Divide your organizer between perishable and non-perishable items. This will help you not only file your coupons correctly, but also find them when you get to the store. Never enter a store without your complete organizer. You don’t want to be caught without a coupon if something is on sale and you can save money.

Begin starting to collect coupon flyers from your local newspapers. Ask your friends and family to save their coupons for you weekly. Check out your local recycling center to see if they have a stock pile of coupon flyers. You can also check with your local newspaper to see if they have any left and offer to haul them away for free. Go through each flyer and cut out all coupons and file them in your organizer by item and category. Once you’re organized its time to start saving money. Remember just because you don’t use a coupon doesn’t mean you can’t gather them, get them for free and donate them to your favorite charity.

Thousands of people pay pennies for thousands of dollars of items each and every day, so why shouldn’t you save money too. Buying in bulk at the local Costco or BJ’s is one thing, but they don’t usually take coupons, so why not buy those same items at your local grocery store and get them free or for little out of pocket money. Be sure to check out the sales at the Family Dollar or Dollar General in your neighborhood because they also take coupons.

Saving money at the check out register can be stressful, but if you plan out your meals, note what necessities you truly need to survive the month, grocery shopping with coupons will not only save you money, but help you eat better in the long run. Ladies don’t forget to look into saving money on make-up and hair products too.

Should you stock pile more than you can use in any quarter, consider donating some items to your local church or food bank to help those less fortunate. Even if you don’t have pets, there are pet food banks in your area that need donations. Your family fun could help feed your neighbors and their pets, so have as much fun as you can handle while saving money and helping your community at the same time.


Organizer: http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/213210/Mead-Zipper-Binder-3-Rings-3/;jsessionid=0000x2m724ftm0F_O4-35QgeZZx:13ddpq5n2?cm_mmc=Mercent-_-Pronto-_-Binders_and_Accessories-_-213210

Dividers: http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/990655/Avery-Index-Maker-30percent-Recycled-Clear/

Coupon Page holders http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QO3CRY/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B002A9H0D4&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1QJQSGMF35E2PP48TQXJ